


Lost Along the Way

by xxstaindrosesxx



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: Death, Drama, F/M, Mystery, Post-Hogwarts, Romance, Sex, mild violence
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2013-03-25
Updated: 2013-03-25
Packaged: 2017-12-06 12:13:24
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,701
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/735506
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/xxstaindrosesxx/pseuds/xxstaindrosesxx
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Two years after the battle of Hogwarts, Percy Weasley is now 23 years old. He finds his life completely different after quiting the Ministry. He has very little money and ends up having to ask his family - the people he abandoned a few years ago - for a place to live. He returns to the Burrow to live, and in the process, is reunited with a friend he played with when little, who he lost contact with once he went to Hogwarts.<br/>-Percy/OC</p>
            </blockquote>





	Lost Along the Way

**Author's Note:**

> I wrote this fic ages ago, so it may not be the greatest, but I truly love the Percy character. I think he is so misunderstood, and that's why I enjoyed writing this a few years back. I feel that Percy would be somewhat broken after the death of Fred, and I wanted to kind of tie that into something. You can feel free to leave a review if you want, but there are more chapters to come.

Two eleven year-old children ran through the long green grass of the hill. The children frolicked as they enjoyed the hot summer day. The sun shined brightly upon them as they sat down in the grass, taking a rest from all of their playing.

These two children were the best of friends for years now. They had played together when they were even younger then eleven years old. Their parents had remembered the two playing together in their diapers, but now their friendship would change.

“Annie. Do you think we will see each other again?” The ginger-haired boy asked as he picked at the grass around him.

“I think we will.” The girl with honey-blonde hair replied, a smile on her face as if she truly believed it.

The boy did not look at her like he believed she would never return. “Tell me again why you can’t go to Hogwarts.” He demanded, looking for a glimpse of hope.

“Because mum and I are going to live in France so I can attend Beauxbatons.” Annie explained, sounding excited to go somewhere different.

The boy continued to look sad as he stood up. The grass where he sat had become flat and the same applied to the girl as she followed in suit with standing up. “Promise me we will see each other again.” The red-haired boy requested, as he looked his friend in the eyes.

“I promise.” She replied, smiling and embracing him in a hug. He returned the gesture as he gave her a quick squeeze.

Annie pulled away and the boy studied her one last time. The wind blew hard, causing the grass around them to sway and her long blond hair to swirl around herself. She brushed some of the loose hair behind her ear as the two stood there. This image imprinted in the boy’s mind, as he would always remember her this way.

“I better go.” The little blonde girl suggested. She gave him a little peck on the cheek before she ran off.

The boy touched his fingers to his cheek as he blushed. He watched Annie disappear over a big hill, which divided the property between their homes. Little did he know, it would be another twelve years before he laid eyes on her again.

***

The ginger-haired boy had now become a tall lanky man in the form of Percy Weasley. He had changed over the years, most obvious by the facial hair and deeper voice. He had also turned his back on his family for almost three years. This all changed when the Ministry of Magic became corrupted by Death Eaters under Voldemort’s command and when the Battle of Hogwarts occurred. He had returned to fight alongside his family, but he never made peace with one of them. His brother Fred had died, and the images still haunted him. In a way, he blamed himself for Fred’s death.

Now, Percy stood at the doorstep of the Burrow; the home he had lived at for seventeen years. He needed a place to stay because it had been difficult to make a living after he quit his job at the Ministry. He had worked temporary jobs just to make some money for rent and food, but the jobs didn’t pay well, and usually the work seemed awful. The jobs varied from working in shops, record keeping at the Ministry, and even walking dogs for muggles. Now, two years after the battle, he could not afford the rent for his flat, yet alone food to ease his hunger.

Percy didn’t apparate inside the Burrow because he did not want to intrude. Even though he had made peace with his family, they still remembered how he disowned them. Therefore, he knocked on the front door and waited patiently for someone to answer.

After a few seconds, Mrs. Weasley, the woman of the household and his mother, answered the door. Her eyes lit up with warmth and joy at the sight of her son. “Hello dear!” she exclaimed, but her eyes slowly gazed at his luggage and boxes surrounding him on the ground. “What is going on?”

Percy felt ashamed of himself because he couldn’t afford to live on his own and he needed to ask his parents for help. “I need help.” He replied feeling embarrassed.

Molly Weasley smiled sweetly at him. “Of course dear. Come in and we will talk.” She offered, gesturing him to come inside by stepping away from the door.

Percy stepped inside and pulled out his wand. He used his wand to levitate his luggage and boxes inside, setting them down against the wall in a neat pile near the door. Afterwards, his mother closed the door. “Would you like some tea while we talk?” Mrs. Weasley asked thoughtfully.

Percy nodded. “Yes please.” He replied, not forgetting his manors.

“Alright dear. Have a seat at the kitchen table.” Mrs. Weasley requested before heading to the kitchen and grabbing her teakettle. She filled it with cold water from the faucet as Percy quietly sat down at the table.

Mrs. Weasley heated the teakettle on her stove. While she waited, she grabbed two teacups, saucers, and spoons from a cabinet. She also found a canister of tea, taking a spoonful of the powder for each cup.

After a few minutes, the teakettle whistled loudly. Mrs. Weasley turned off the stove and proceeded to pour some of the hot water into each teacup. Then, she put the teakettle back on the stove, but on a cold burner. After this, she stirred the water, mixing the powder in it and creating tea. She left the individual spoons in each teacup as she brought them over to the table.

The teacups rested firmly in their saucers as Mrs. Weasley placed them carefully on the table. One rested in front of her son, the other in front of herself. She sat across the table from him as they both raised the tea to their lips, taking a sip and letting the hot liquid tingle their bodies with warmth.

Mrs. Weasley set her teacup back on the saucer. “Please tell me what you need.” She requested with softness in her voice.

The two continued to drink their tea as Percy explained everything. He discussed his various temp jobs, his lack of money, and his need for a place to stay. Mrs. Weasley’s face looked horrified at some of his stories. “Of course you can stay here.” She offered.

Percy smiled. “Thanks mum. I’ll give you money if I work any temp jobs.” He offered kindly.

Mrs. Weasley shook her head. “There is no need dear. You can have your old room back,” she offered. “Go on and settle in.”

Percy nodded and headed upstairs to his usual room he had lived in before abandoning his family. He opened the door and noticed his room changed greatly. In fact, a woman stood in the middle of the room and she turned around at the sound of him entering.

The woman, who looked at him, gave him a confused look, which also appeared on Percy’s face. “Excuse you. Don’t you know how to knock?” The woman who looked around the same age as Percy asked rudely.

Percy seemed shocked. “Well, this is my room.” He stated.

“Apparently not, if I’m living in it now.” The woman stated.

Percy wanted to respond, but his mother appeared at the doorway. She looked at the expressions on both of their faces. “I’m so sorry Annabelle,” apologized Mrs. Weasley. “It’s been so quiet around here so I forgot to tell my son you have been living here. If you’ll just excuse us.”

Annabelle nodded as Mrs. Weasley gestured for her son to come back downstairs. Percy took one last glance at the woman in his room before following his mother downstairs.

Percy felt extremely confused at this point, yet relieved he did not take his things upstairs yet. His mother turned to face him once they stood on the main floor. “I’m sorry dear,” apologized Mrs. Weasley. “It’s been so quiet here since you all moved out so I forgot to tell you Annabelle is living here.”

Percy didn’t understand why this woman lived here now and why she lived in his room. “Well why does she live here and why is she living in my room?” He asked, the arrogant side of Percy coming through.

“She needed help of course. I would give you details, but it’s not really my place dear,” explained his mother. “I just chose your room because I never thought you would come back to stay.”

Those words stung Percy slightly. He knew his mother had every right to say them since they were true. “What room should I stay in then?” He asked.

Mrs. Weasley looked at her son sweetly. “Bill or Charlie’s room would do fine,” she answered. “George, Ron, and Ginny still stay once in a while.”

“Thanks mum.” Percy said, expressing his gratitude.

Mrs. Weasley smiled. “It’s no trouble dear.”

Percy walked to the base of the stairs, but he turned around to ask his mother a question. “Can the woman living here be trusted since we don’t know her?”

“His mother gave him a toothy grin. “But we do know her son.” She replied.

Percy looked confused as if he might scratch his head. “We do?” He asked.

Molly Weasley nodded her head as she smiled. “Yes. She’s Annie.”

Percy thought quietly for a moment and then his eyes became wide. “You mean the Annie I played with when I was growing up?” He asked slightly in shock.

“His mother nodded. “Yes dear,” she replied. “Now go unpack and you can say hi to her later.”

Percy nodded with a blank look on his face. He never thought he would see Annie, the little blonde-haired girl, ever again. Now she lived in the same place he would be living. He pulled out his wand, flicked it at his belongings, and they followed him up the stairs. He made his way to Charlie’s old room and set down his possessions. He began to unpack, thinking of the eleven-year-old girl with honey-blonde hair blowing in the breeze.


End file.
